Alumni Conversations: Brooke Trine

The Ohio State University at Mansfield alumni have taken full advantage of the opportunities given to them after graduation. Brooke Trine works for School Speciality in Mansfield as a lean six sigma black belt in the process excellence department. She is primarily responsible for leading large scale projects across the organization. Some of her specific responsibilities include working with business leaders to identify major opportunities and, if these are unknown, facilitating teams to generate ideas and potential solutions. Her education at Ohio State Mansfield prepared her to be able to see all new opportunities as learning adventures and uses the output of her learning to inspire others.

When did you attend The Ohio State University at Mansfield?

“I attended The Ohio State University Mansfield from 2011 to 2014. I transferred from Otterbein University, as a nursing major, where I attended from 2010 to 2011.”

Where are you from?

“I grew up about five minutes from the campus in Mansfield.”

What was your major/degree?

“I majored in psychology with a minor in professional writing. Initially, I chose this path as a stepping stone to pursue a medical degree, but after taking a few psychology courses, I became passionate about psychology and it’s applications to organizational development and change management.”

What made you choose Ohio State Mansfield?

“The small classroom sizes, favorable tuition costs, and teacher interactions helped me choose the Ohio State Mansfield campus. The passion the professors brought to the classroom taught me an invaluable lesson about the insatiable desire to learn. During my time as a working professional, the most distinguishable difference between success and failure is the desire to learn and the passion for using new knowledge for innovating and driving change. Seeing this passion through the Ohio State Mansfield faculty helped open my eyes to the endless possibilities through continuous learning. Also, the confidence I was able to develop through better learning environments has been pivotal to my professional success. I often say “confidence changed my life,” and this is not an exaggeration. Before attending The Ohio State at Mansfield, I was unable to speak in front of groups and was crippled by the anxiety of public confrontation. Today, I often speak or present to executive leaders about work I have done for the organization.”

What did you like most about the campus/classes at Ohio State Mansfield?

“The quality of the campus and the relationship I was able to have with the faculty were both top notch. The classrooms and amenities were very nice and comfortable to study in or just to hang out with friends. The professors were very welcoming and supportive. I never felt that a professor did not personally want me to succeed in their class, and they would often go above and beyond to offer assistance to further a student’s understanding or to provide additional learning opportunities.”

What class had the most significant impact on you?

“I do not feel it would be fair to choose just one. When thinking back, all of my psychology classes (specifically with Dr. Brunell and Dr. Mazzocco) were instrumental in sparking my interest in social and organizational psychology. What jumpstarted my professional success was my decision to complete the professional writing minor with Dr. Susan Delagrange. Developing professional communication skills was a differentiator from other job applicants and is, to this day, a strength I lean on to further establish my professional credibility.”

How has Ohio State Mansfield prepared you for your career?

“The confidence, communication skills, and passion for learning that I developed at Ohio State Mansfield have all contributed to my success at School Specialty. I am able to effectively communicate to varying audience levels, facilitate dynamic teams through change, and energetically tackle multiple problems in various business units.”

What was your experience with getting a job after you graduated?

“I was very fortunate to secure a job a couple of weeks before I graduated. I worked with Pam Schopieray, Career Development Director, and Tracy Bond, Internship Coordinator who were able to find a potential internship near the campus that fit well into the field I wanted to pursue. I took the internship interview as a way to build my experience for future job opportunities. During the interview, I was able to use my experiences from Ohio State Mansfield in every answer. I frequently referenced successes and failures I had in my internship for the professional writing minor and experiences I had with faculty. The interview went so well that I was offered a full-time position (as opposed to the internship), and I have been there for about three and a half years!”

Were you involved in student organizations?

“I worked in the Writing Center during my final semesters at Ohio State Mansfield. Like other areas of the campus, the Writing Center was top notch both in the quality of the amenities and the student assistants.”

What advice would you give to an undergrad at Ohio State Mansfield?

“The best advice I could give an Ohio State Mansfield student is to get involved in all the campus has to offer. Not necessarily in after-hours activities, but in the quality facilities, faculty, and services that the campus provides to further students’ learning. Use the time at Ohio State Mansfield as a chance to grow personally, professionally, and academically in a way that will best prepare you for life after graduation because everything you could ever need to succeed is within your reach at The Ohio State University Mansfield.”

Alumni Conversations is an effort to capture the inspiring stories of Buckeye Nation. The transformative power of The Ohio State University is evidenced by our alumni each day. They are leaders in business, government, medicine, the arts, law and a myriad of industries. They continue to learn and grow as they pursue their passions in Ohio, throughout the nation, and around the world!